Dreaming of Lightning
by AGuyWhoUsedToWrite
Summary: When Barry jumped into that singularity, Caitlin felt her heart disappear along side with him. Not sure how to exactly move on, she's been stuck in the same routine for months until she found a little bit of lightning that reignited that heart of hers. Barry x Caitlin Story.
1. Chapter 1

Please enjoy this story. I fell in love with this pairing and I wanted to see more stories about it. If this is your cup of tea, please keep in mind the following;

1) Ronnie died and never came back. Firestorm will not be appearing in this story but if it helps, there is a firestorm... just not Stein and Raymond.

2) This story starts at the final episode of season 1. Anything before the finale is canon in this story but anything after is AU.

3) This is definitely a Barry/Caitlin story and I do not do lemons. Not my style. Their will be fluff. I think.

4) If you like where this is going, please review.

* * *

 _Inside the Particle Accelerator - After coming back from the past._

Barry could hear the screams of frustration coming from Thawne but he didn't care. His own eyes were brimming with tears as he skidded along the metallic floor of what used to be the particle accelerator. He blinked away the tears, memories of his mother's death still weighing heavily on him.

"What have you _done_ Barry Allen!?" Eobard yelled as he pushed himself up. "I gave you your chance to save your mother!" His fist pounded against the floor, the impact echoing throughout the area. "Why the hell would you choose to throw away that opportunity!? You could've had your family back!"

"You don't get it do you Thawne." Barry said through the pain. He gasped for the much needed oxygen as he struggled to get back on his feet. "I wouldn't be able to look my mother in the face again if she knew the price I paid to save her." He could taste the blood pooling inside his mouth and spat it out. He took several more deep breaths before propping himself up against the wall. "You of all people should know that."

"Always the self-righteous hero aren't you Flash." Eobard snarled as he zipped over to where Barry was, catching him off guard with a powerful blow to the ribs. "Why do you always have to play the hero?" He asked between blows. "If you had just stayed a little bit longer, then the both of us could have had our happy endings. You could have saved your mother and I could have gone home!"

"Justice doesn't work like that." Barry wheezed, his body now turtling between blows. "You're a murderer and psychopath Thawne. You don't get to decide who lives or who dies. None of us do."

"And why shouldn't I?" Eobard shouted, kicking Barry hard in the ribs. "You should be thanking me Flash! Don't you get it? You're mother _had_ to die if you were to become the hero that you are today. You would have been a nobody if it wasn't for me! I gave you a chance to be something more than just a damn CSI!"

Barry groaned as he rolled over on the floor, using the time to check his ribs. He winced as his fingers grazed over them, mentally counting about four broken ones. Caitlin was not going to be happy about this. He could hear Thawne coming so he swung his arm blindly, hoping to get in a lucky swing but he hit nothing but air.

"If you could see just how pathetic you've become Barry." Thawne taunted, kicking Barry once more in the ribs. "Just take part in knowing that once I kill you, I'm going to kill everyone that you ever cared about. Your father... Iris... Joe... Cisco... Caitlin... They're all going to die by my hands." And speaking of hands, he started to vibrate his at a fast rate, slowly lowering it towards Barry's chest.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Eobard!" Eddie shouted, his gun out and pointed towards them.

"Eddie...?" Barry groggily asked, his vision a little blurry. What was he doing here? He should be upstairs in the cortex with everyone else. He tried to focus his eyes and saw Joe and Cisco down for the count, each one of them groaning from the earlier impact. A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he felt somewhat better, knowing that those two were alright.

"Don't make me laugh Eddie. We both know that I can easily avoid that. Don't waste my time with idle threats."

"I know and that's why you're not my intended target."

Just as those words left Eddie's mouth, a sense of dread washed over him like a tidal wave. There was no way that Eddie was going to... Barry shook his head, unable to fathom that idea.

"Don't. Eddie." Barry yelled but his voice came out like a whisper. His eyes pleaded with the detective, mentally urging him to think about Iris and what he was about to do to her happiness.

Ever since his confession to Iris, he accepted the fact that his relationship with her was always going to be just friends. It was silly of him to even think that a future with her was even possible. She was in love with Eddie and they were already planning for a future together, taking that step forward into the unknown while he, the lonely superhero, stood outside looking in. It just wasn't his place to make her smile anymore... It was Eddie's.

He swallowed that pang of guilt and now realized that maybe Oliver wasn't just sprouting bullshit that day.

 _You need to let her go Barry... Guys like us... we don't get the girl._

Even if he wasn't able to get his own future with Iris... the least he could do was make sure that she has hers. He took a few deep breaths, ignoring the throbbing pain from his side and closed his eyes. He allowed the lightning that was surging through his veins to come alive. Ever since he became the Flash, Caitlin was always reminding him to be careful, to have restrain when it came to his powers... but what if he didn't.

For the first time tonight, those mental shackles that he put on himself... Barry broke them and for the second time in his life, it felt like lightning had struck.

He opened his eyes and it was exhilarating... intoxicating even.

Eobard felt a huge electrical shock from Barry and his eyes widened when he disappeared right in front of him. The next few seconds were a blur, even for someone as fast as him. Never in his wildest dream has he seen the flash run so fast. His eyes couldn't even keep up. He turned his head, trying to figure out what was happening.

The gun that was previously in Eddie's hand lied disassembled and on the other side of the wall.

Joe and Cisco were no longer lying on the ground. They were now leaning against the wall, their bodies using each other's for support.

"FLASH!" He bellowed but before he knew what was going on, a strong force from behind lifted him off the ground and he found himself leaving the vicinity, moving at speeds that even he wasn't able to reach.

"This ends now." Barry stated, tightening his hold on Thawne and changed his direction to the nearest exit. His entire body began vibrating and phased through the wall. He could feel him struggling, throwing random elbows as an attempt to stop him but it didn't matter. Everything in his body, from his face to his feet were numb from everything today. A few elbows were not enough to deter him.

Once they were outside, Barry didn't stop running. His mind didn't stop running either. He knew that nothing short of killing Thawne would stop him from coming after his family. His mind came up with several less than ideal options but what caught his attention was the giant hole in the sky.

Eobard saw the same thing and sneered. "It doesn't matter what you do Flash. Pretty soon, that singularity will become a full-blown wormhole and this city will be nothing but rubble."

"Maybe not." Barry answered, grunting through the pain. He dragged Thawne upward into the sky, leaping from one floating object to the next. Even though he was moving, he could still hear his team over the comms, all of them screaming at him to stop. He turned his head and saw S.T.A.R. Labs, thinking how small it looked from up here.

With one final leap, he disappeared into the singularity, taking them both into the unknown.

* * *

 _Six Months Later_

Caitlin looked up at the sky, taking note that it was gloomier than usual. She unconsciously pulled her jacket closer to her, trying to stay warm on this chilly autumn day. With a bouquet of wildflowers in one hand, she made her way into the cemetery. Even though it's been half a year already, it still feels like it was just yesterday when she was just here for his funeral.

As she walked along the familiar path, she couldn't help but remember all the good times that they shared. Even now whenever she's working in the Cortex at S.T.A.R. Labs, she swears it's almost like he's still standing there next to her, making her laugh and just being his usual goofy self.

She bit her lips, blushing at some of the more explicit memories that they shared together... She then sighed, silently thinking about him and wondering what would have happened if she had just told him that night about her own feelings...

"Maybe I'm just an idiot." Caitlin muttered to herself. It's been like that for a while now, where her memories of him would come up from time to time and they would always lead to her reminiscing and playing the what-if game. She knew it wasn't healthy but she couldn't let it go, not until she found some closure.

She stopped walking when she saw someone standing in front of _his_ grave. "Joe?" She whispered to herself. She thought about the detective for a second and then shook her head. That man was just a little bit taller and leaner than Joe and she didn't recognize him from the people who was at his funeral.

Caitlin cleared her throat as she came closer, intentionally announcing her presence so she doesn't startle the stranger.

"Hello." She softly greeted. "Is it okay if I join you? I didn't realize that someone else would be here today." She paused for a second before smiling. "Were you a friend of his?"

"You can say that." The man answered, his voice raspy. "Barry Allen and I..." He hesitated. "We used to be friends so... I'm just here to pay my respects."

Caitlin solemnly nodded and crouched down, pressing her knees onto the grass. She placed the flowers in front of Barry's grave and started to clean pick away the weeds that were starting to grow around the tombstone. From the corner of her eye, she could see the man, his hands still shoved into his pockets standing there awkwardly.

"I can come back later if you want to be alone with him." She offered, a faint smile on her lips. It was very obvious that he was a little bit out of his comfort zone. The man coughed and rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed that he was caught.

"It's okay." He awkwardly answered, "And if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Barry?"

Caitlin studied him for a few seconds, mulling over how much she could tell him. From what she can see, he didn't exactly scream 'dangerous meta-human' although there was something about him that felt rather familiar. "We used to work together, solving for the impossible." She found herself saying. "We were... quite the pair."

"And do you miss him?"

"Yes I do." She softly answered. "I miss him so much." she freely admitted. "I just wished he was still here so that I can at least tell him how I feel..." Blinking a few times, she couldn't help but feel her eyes watering up and she tried her hardest to stop those stray tears from falling. Her hand went to wipe away those tears and she laughed. "I'm so sorry." Caitlin apologized, her cheeks blushing. "I'm just a mess. I swear I'm not like this all the time..."

"That's fine by me Cait... and for what it's worth... I'm sorry."

His words were like a whisper... almost like he was sharing a secret with her. She felt her entire body growing warmer by the second, clearly affected by his words. She hasn't felt like this since Barry... and even then she was confused about her feelings about the speedster. She sighed and before she stood back up, it suddenly dawned on her that she never gave him her name in the first place.

Panic quickly replaced embarrassment and she jumped up, putting some distance between her and the stranger but when she looked around, he was no longer there. Instead, there was just a single yellow rose on the ground. She carefully plucked the rose off the ground and after examining it, it was just an ordinary flower.

She took a sniff and smiled when she detected a sweet flora scent from it. As she was lowering the flower, her eyes detected something that caused her to do a double-take. Holding it closer to her face, her eyes widened when she saw tiny visible sparks of electricity jumping around the leaves. She was left speechless because the last person who could have done this was ...

 _Barry Allen himself..._

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the kind reviews. If I wasn't writing this chapter, I was on this site reading everything I could about Caitlin/Barry. Damn, there's a lot of good writers out there for this pairing. I just hope I don't disappoint.

Enjoy.

* * *

 _S.T.A.R. Labs_

Cisco happily sighed as he took a deep whiff of his dark roast coffee that he ordered from Jitters this morning. He took a sip and instantly made a face. He shook his head, disappointed in himself for trusting that cute barista. How could've his instincts been so wrong? Now that he's thinking about it, he couldn't even remembered what he ordered in the first place. The only thing that he did remember was her warm brown eyes that held promises of untold pleasure.

He swirled around in his seat, thinking about how to justify wasting his money on this horrid coffee. He looked over and saw the empty seat next to him, wondering if Caitlin would like this. She was a coffee lover after all. His hand slowly pushed the coffee away from him, mentally swearing never to look another cute barista in the eyes again... unless it was Kendra of course.

"Cisco!"

"It was just coffee!" Cisco defended, jumping out of his seat. "She told me that everyone was ordering it this week." He looked around and heard her running through the hallways. He grasped his chest, trying to calm himself down.

"What are you even talking about?" Caitlin asked as she slid into her seat. Her eyes lit up and smiled. "Thanks for the coffee Cisco. You're a lifesaver."

He watched her carefully as she took that initial sip and then frowned when she didn't spit it out. His eyes zeroed in on that coffee, wondering if it was just him that found it horrendous.

"What."

Cisco looked up and saw Caitlin staring at him, still sipping that coffee. "Nothing." He nonchalantly answered before stretching his arms. "Are you going to be spending all day in this gloomy lab again?"

"Just for a little while." She answered, her fingers already typing away on the keyboard. A few seconds later, the monitors on the cortex turned on, displaying several programs on screen. She started inputting certain keywords and sat there silently as her eyes scanned through the results.

He bit his lips, a wave of sadness hitting him as he watched her, just like he did every day. This was her coping mechanism, a way to deal with Barry's death. While the rest of them went on with the rest of their lives, she was doing the opposite. For some reason, she kept coming in and pulling up the same programs, looking for any signs of Barry. He knew he should speak up or at least put together an intervention but when he saw her eyes... the way that they were barely clinging onto hope... He couldn't go through with it. He didn't want to be the person that sends her back to the pre-Barry days...

And by pre-Barry, he meant the day the particle accelerator exploded, taking Ronnie's life and forever changing hers. It was like she turned into a robot, only doing the bare minimum just to survive but that all started to change when Barry entered their lives.

He could see the changes in his best friend. She was no longer cold and quiet, withdrawn from the world. She was happier, lighter and even in some cases, smiling with them. Even if she doesn't like to show it, she changed for the better.

He was brought back to reality when he heard beeping sounds echoing from the computer and he looked up, quickly realizing what she was attempting to do. "Hey don't do that!" He yelped. "Sally is very sensitive and she requires a very _delicate_ touch."

"I know Cisco." She said, rolling her eyes. "I was there when you gave that presentation remember?" She held her tongue after that, stopping herself from accidentally blurting out that she's been using the satellite for the past few months but that's her little secret. She didn't want anyone finding out because if they knew, they would make her face the harsh reality that Barry was gone... and she wasn't ready for that.

Not when she already lost someone else in her life.

She turned around and saw Cisco staring at her, that look in his eyes strengthen her resolved to not tell anyone yet. All of them were moving on with their lives and while she was thankful that they were looking out for her, they just didn't understand how it feels to lose someone.

Losing Ronnie was the hardest thing that she's ever had to experience. It was almost like a piece of herself actually died that day and she swore that she was never going to feel that way again. It wasn't worth the pain... but all that went away the day she met Barry. Even in his comatose state, there was something about him that made her curious.

Perhaps it was something... or perhaps it was just wishful thinking but whatever it was, it was enough to make her interested.

Things soon got better after he woke up and he showed her that the world isn't just a cold and lonely place. It was filled with people that brought laughter and love despite all else. He pushed her to move on, reminding her Ronnie wouldn't want her to spend the rest of her life as a nun. She swatted him on the arm for that comment but it was at that moment when she truly began to move on.

Over the past few months, they grown closer and they confided in one another, her feelings about Ronnie's death and his non-existent relationship with Iris. It wasn't until after Christmas when she noticed a change within Barry. He sported a mask, fooling most people but not her. She could see the pain in his eyes and it broke her heart knowing that there wasn't anything that she could do for him.

But then he had to go and be a hero... sacrificing himself to save everyone else. That idiot... Why did he have to go and do that when she was finally able to sort out those feelings of hers?

"Are you satisfied?" Cisco drawled, chewing on a twizzler. He was pulling up the results of the scan and it was normal. No incidents of a red-blur or streaks of lightning anywhere in the world. "I know you want to believe Caitlin and I really didn't want to be the one to have this conversation with you... but you have to face the facts and move on... It's what he would have wanted."

"I know Cisco. I just wanted to believe in the impossible once more."

He nodded, totally understanding her reasoning. This team was brought together because of the impossible and everything that happened since seems like it came straight out of the comics. An idea suddenly popped into his head and he started jumping up and down like a kid on Christmas Morning. "You know what would be so awesome? If you joined me that special task force with CCPD. I'm sure Joe and Singh wouldn't mind. It would be like old times except that it'll be just us, with a few modified plasma guns making a last stand against the onslaught of metahumans." His eyes then glazed over and he pointed at her. "You can be Sarah Conner."

"I don't know Cisco..." Caitlin said, hesitating.

"Think about it Snow. I'll be back."

* * *

Joe and Eddie stood behind their squad car, occasionally peeking out to monitor the abandon warehouse. "Are you sure this was the smartest idea Joe?" Eddie asked. "Iris is going to be pretty pissed if I don't come home today... You know... after all the wedding planning and stuff..."

"Don't worry Eddie." Joe casually replied, pulling out his phone as he checked for messages from Cisco. "I won't let anything happen to my baby girl's fiancé." He lightly teased. "And if it puts your mind at least, Cisco is coming with some new tech that he's been developing. Some new plasma guns, supposed to pack a punch."

"Are you sure about this? The last gun he gave us just bounced off him without a scratch. At that point, we might as well have thrown pillows at him."

"Yeah... not one of Cisco's greatest moments." Joe answered, scratching his chin.

A loud honk in the distance caught the attention of the detectives and they both cringed at the noise. The van pulled in front of them and Cisco walked out with a grin on his face. "Hey guys!" Cisco greeted but he suddenly stopped when he saw the glare coming from both detectives. He looked around and realized where they were and quickly apologized. "My bad but wait until you see what I brought today!"

He walked over to the side doors and gently pulled it open, revealing Caitlin who sat there playing around with the new equipment.

"You brought Caitlin?" Joe asked, surprised to see the scientist. He walked up to her and gave her a gentle hug. "Not that I'm upset but damn, it's good to see you again."

Caitlin smiled, eagerly returning the hug. It's been a while since she last saw the detective and whenever she thinks of him, she thinks of Barry. She turned her head and saw Eddie giving her a polite wave which she returned.

"Looks like the band is back!" Cisco said, pumping his fist in the air. "Team Flash 2.0 is live baby!" He swirled around and walked back into the van, pulling out the new weapons. He handed them to Joe and Eddie and explained about the new upgrades he implemented. "That meta's going to regret the day he messed with Central City!"

Eddie sighed and took the gun, noticing the weight difference. He couldn't help but smile, feeling a little bit excited to have a new toy in his hands. He coughed and quickly wiped that smile off before they notice.

After the three of them were armed, they slowly made their way into the warehouse, looking for any signs of their meta. Joe led the charge while Eddie brought up the rear. The two detectives shared a quick look with each other before they breached, entering through the side door. It didn't take long for them to find their target because just as soon as they entered and turned the corner, he was just sitting there with his legs up on a barrel, almost if he was expecting them.

"Show me your hands!" Joe shouted, aiming his gun. "Albert Rothstein, you are under arrest!"

"Hands in the air sucker!" Cisco chimed in, feeling very confident as he took one more step forward. "It's a good day to surrender."

As Caitlin watched, she couldn't help but notice just how relaxed Albert was. She bit her lower lips, trying to understand why. In her past experiences, when someone is wanted by the police, they usually don't sit there looking bored unless this was some kind of trap. She hissed at Cisco, trying to get his attention. "We should go." She muttered, pulling on Cisco's arm.

"What are you talking about Caitlin? We have him dead to rights." Cisco whispered, his gun still pointed at the metahuman. "We got this."

Albert yawned and stood up, stretching his muscular arms. "I was told that the Flash would be here, not some second string substitutes."

"There's nothing second string about this fool!" Cisco retorted, waving his plasma gun in the air. "I would definitely reconsider if I were you."

"But you're not me." Albert laughed. "Didn't you learn your lesson the first time around? Those weapons did nothing to me and now, you're going to regret not bringing the Flash."

"What's your deal with the Flash anyway?" Cisco said with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know if you're just all brawn and no brains but the Flash isn't here with us anymore. He died saving everyone months ago!" Not waiting for anyone else, his finger hit the side trigger and his weapon started charging, making a humming sound in the process.

"Cisco!" Caitlin harshly whispered. "What are you doing? We need to get out of here."

"I'm sorry Caitlin but Cisco's right. If we have a chance to bring him down, we have to take it." Eddie interrupted, his gun humming to life as well. "This guy is too dangerous to be left unchecked."

"Light him up!" Joe shouted, his fingers pressing on the trigger multiple times. Cisco and Eddie were quick to join in but no matter how many times they fired their weapons, those blue energy shots harmlessly bounced off Albert's skin. "What the hell Cisco?!" He turned to the young engineer who also had a bewildered look on his face.

"I don't understand..."

"Don't worry little rats. In just a few minutes, all your questions wouldn't even matter." Albert taunted as he picked up the barrel by his side and after ripping the top off, he started inhaling the green fumes, his eyes rolling backwards from the intoxicating experience. His body started growing in size, this time doubling in mass. "If the Flash won't come to me, then I'll have to force him."

"I thought you said this was going to work Cisco!" Eddie muttered as he took several steps back. He shared a look with Joe and everyone slowly started inching backwards.

Alarm bells continued to go off in Caitlin's head, her eyes scanning the contents of that barrel. There were so many questions going through her mind but the most important one was that green fume. What was that and why did it act like an endorphin release for him? She squinted her eyes and then gasped. U-235.

"We have to leave right now!" She shouted, never taking her eyes off the meta. Even if Albert doesn't kill them, there's a good chance that radiation poisoning would kill them. When none of them were taking her warning, she tried again, this time in a louder voice. "You know that stuff he's inhaling? That's Uranium!"

"Uranium? Like in Atomic Bomb uranium?" Joe asked, his stomach now feeling uneasy. His eyes looked past Albert and at the barrel. The only things going through his mind was Hiroshima and Godzilla.

"That's right." Albert said, answering everyone's question. His hand grabbed another barrel and hurled it at them with frightening speed. "Where's all that bravado from earlier!?"

Everyone jumped out the way, splitting up and dived for cover. "Split up!" Joe barked. "He may be big but he can't catch all of us."

Caitlin shared a mutual look with the detective and ran. She didn't know where but she ran as fast as she could. Her heart continued to pound against her chest, her legs automatically running in any direction that wasn't a dead end. After the third right turn, her heart leaped straight into her mouth, unable to scream. It was a dead-end. Her eyes looked around for a possible escape route but as the stomping came closer, her hands reached for the closest thing she considered a weapon. A three foot long metal pipe.

It wasn't the best weapon given how bullets and plasma shots bounced off him but given the situation... it was better to go down swinging.

She watched in horror as Albert's head peaked around the corner, a sick grin on his face.

"Oh you'll do nicely."

Caitlin backed against the wall, her pulse racing. She held the pipe in front of her, silently cursing Cisco for dragging her out here. Albert took several more steps forward and she closed her eyes, anticipating the worse to come. The footsteps came closer, louder and it was inevitable. A gust of wind blew into the vicinity, sending chills down her back and she heard a loud grunt. Her eyes slowly opened and she saw a man standing in front of her, electricity surrounding him.

"Barry?" She whispered, her breath hitched. "Please tell me I'm not hallucinating..."

He turned his head slightly, just enough for her to get a glimpse of those green eyes and she knew. His eyes lingered on hers for a second longer before turning his attention back towards Albert. "So what are you waiting for? You wanted the Flash. Well you got him."

* * *

Chapter kinda got away from me length wise...


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the kind reviews everyone. I realized while typing up this chapter that I want to also do a series of one-shots based on themes for this couple. Let's see how that will work out. I'm thinking I might do the couple in various holiday situations... to be determined.

Also as a reminder, while this takes place after season 2, I will not be writing where he fights every metahuman from the show... That gets boring pretty fast. This is a Barry/Caitlin centered story so I'm intending of keeping it like that. I might throw in king shark or something.

* * *

Every fiber in her body was trembling; almost if it was trying to tell her that this person was in fact Barry Allen but her heart remained unconvinced. It stood alone, unwavering because what the body forgets, the heart remembers.

It remembers how it feels to be next to him, their shared connection... that spark that drew them together in the first place. Her eyes detected the familiar electricity surrounding his body and her mind pleaded, telling her that it was enough but her heart needed to hear him say it.

Just once.

After what happened with Hannibal Bates, she needed to be sure.

"Is it really you...?" She softly whispered. "... Barry?" She knew the situation that they were in but in spite of that, she needed to know. Her body unconsciously took a small step forward and then another until her fingers were close enough to gently clutched the black fabric on his back. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming of another dream..."

"I certainly hope not Caitlin..."

Her eyes quickly soften and her lips tugged upward into a smile. She was sure that even though he couldn't see her, he knew that she was smiling. "I knew you would come back." She calmly said, her heart fluttering at the thought. There was no mistake about it, this was _her_ Barry standing here.

"I don't think I can take it if you're just another figment of my imagination Barry." She mumbled as she pressed her forehead against his back. She felt his muscles shaking, which she assumed that he was laughing at her. She pouted and gently swatted him. "Don't you start making fun of me now Mr. Allen."

"I would never dare Dr. Snow but I think we should finish this conversation later." Barry suggested, turning his attention back to the metahuman.

It was a silent promise, one that she know he'll keep so she reluctantly let go. She knew that there would be time later on to catch up. "I'm holding you to that Barry Allen." She muttered, taking a step back to give him some room to work with. "Just be careful okay? This guy is no joke and even with your abilities, I think the smart play is to retreat for now until we know more about his abilities."

He nodded, lightly clenching his fist. He was just lucky that his healing factor kicked in because when he threw that punch earlier, it felt like he was punching steel. Whoever this guy was, he was crazy strong.

Albert rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. "You can't be him. I was told that he would be more formidable." He shook his head and started walking over, each step causing the floor to shake. "You got lucky with that first punch Flash. Let's see you do it again."

Barry quickly scanned the area and from the corner of his eye, he saw the metal pipe lying on the ground next to Caitlin. He zipped over and picked it up. His hand then started to vibrate along with the pipe and without warning, he flung it at Albert.

The metahuman laughed at the attempt, standing tall as he growled. "Do you think something like that would -" He never got to finish that sentence when he was sent flying backwards, landing on his back with a loud thump.

Caitlin's eyes widened, unable to contain her surprise. "H-how?" She sputtered. "Bullets and even Cisco's plasma weapons didn't faze him but a metal pipe did the trick?" She shook her head, trying to understand how that just happened but she was rudely interrupted when she felt herself being lifted in the air.

"B-Barry!" She chided, a blush on her face. "What are you doing?"

"Getting us out of here or did you want to stick around?"

She shook her head and then suddenly remembered that she wasn't the only one in here. "Wait, we can't leave. Joe and the others are here as well."

"You first." Barry stated, holding her firmly against his chest. "I promise I'll come back for them but I need to get you out of here. It's not safe."

"And what about you?" She asked, "I know you're the fastest man alive but if he catches you, you'll die Barry."

"Then I guess I won't get caught." He playfully answered, smirking at her. She rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing that this was one battle she wasn't going to win. It was just like when he had his first taste of being a hero, wanting to do more than to take down metahumans. He wanted to become a symbol that saves people.

A symbol for hope.

It was a losing battle then and as it was one now. She quickly gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheeks still red from the close proximity. She let out a little squeak when he shifted her in his arms, bringing her closer to him.

"Are you ready?" He whispered, his eyes staring at her the entire time.

She merely nodded her head, unable to find her voice. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she might start rambling like Felicity and the last thing she wanted was for him to discover her feelings for him. Not until she was ready herself to admit that this attraction between them was more than something physical. She then smiled at him, recognizing the electricity flowing through his eyes whenever he was accessing the speed force. "Let's go Barry." She whispered back, resting against his forehead.

In a blink of an eye, they were outside behind Joe's squad car. She took a deep breathe, her senses overwhelmed from the sudden but familiar rush of speed. She thought she would have gotten used it by now but she was wrong. It was a new experience every time, one that she hopes to be experiencing more.

"Stay here okay? I'll be right back." Barry said as he gently put her down. He lingered for another second before disappearing, her body suddenly feeling the lack of warmth from Barry.

It took only a few seconds for him to come back, just enough time for her to quickly run her hand through her hair. With one final touch, she looked up and saw Cisco, Joe and Eddie were standing on the other side of the squad car, each one with a confused look on their face.

"Did anyone else feel like they were torn from the fabric of reality?" Cisco asked, shutting his eyes to keep the room from spinning. "No? Just me? Okay." He turned around and leaned against Eddie, who stood there impassively as he stared at the familiar man standing next to Caitlin.

Joe was the first one to put it all together when he recognized the man standing next to Caitlin. How could he not? He spent the past two decades raising him like his own. "Barry?" He cautiously asked, taking a small step forward. "Barry!" He dropped his plasma gun on the floor and broke into a run, his lips threatening to break out into a huge smile. His arms went around Barry, pulling him into a hug who flinched from the initial contact. Joe didn't notice it but Caitlin saw it clear as day, making a note of his actions. "I thought you were dead son." He held on for a little bit longer, tears in his eyes as he hugged him with everything that he had. "How is this possible?"

"Are you crying Cisco?" Eddie suddenly asked, drawing everyone's attention towards them.

Cisco quickly rubbed his eyes, "Of course not. A stupid bug flew into my eye."

"Both of them?"

"What are you doing man? Can you be cool for once? Please!"

Joe rolled his eyes and lightly clapped Barry on the shoulder. "Why don't we continue this discussion back at S.T.A.R. Labs? We need to regroup anyway and I don't to draw too much attention here." He looked over his shoulder, making sure that Albert wasn't going to pop up any minute.

"Great idea Joe." Cisco answered and turn towards Barry, giving him a quick hug before pulling away. "Race you back _Flash_?"

Barry rolled his eyes, knowing that he had all the time in the world to beat them back. "Last one buys Big Belly Burger?"

"You're so on!"

He watched as Cisco grabbed the plasma guns and ran towards the van, throwing the weapons in and jumping into the driver seat. He couldn't help but smile. It was just like old times.

"Are you coming Caitlin?" Cisco shouted over the loud hum of the engine. He slapped his free hand against the side of the car door, signaling her to hurry up. "Time's a wasting!"

Caitlin bit the bottom of her lips, torn between leaving with Cisco and staying here with Barry. Her eyes met his, searching to see what he wanted and he smiled in return. "You go on ahead Cisco. Caitlin and I will catch up." He answered for the both of them. He then looked at her who nodded appreciatively.

Cisco shrugged and without warning, stepped on the gas, kicking up a dust storm as he sped off. Joe and Eddie soon joined him and once they were gone, Barry turned to Caitlin, who stood there staring at him. He recognized that look on her face and he smiled. "A dollar for your thoughts Dr. Snow?" He softly asked, breaking the silence between them. When she didn't answer him, he grew worried and reached for her shoulder, gently tapping on it to get her attention. "Talk to me Cait... What's going through that genius mind of yours?"

"Us Barry." Caitlin answered, sighing as she gestured between the two of them. "Don't get me wrong. I am beyond relief that you're not dead but a part of me is still angry at you for doing what you did."

"For what I did?" He asked, puzzled. "Do you mean the singularity?" He nervously chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I mean Cait, you know that I had to do it right? It was either me or this city and I did what was best for everyone. I mean, if Ronnie was alive, he would have done the exact same thing."

"You don't get to bring up Ronnie!" She snapped, now glaring at Barry. She stared at him, astonished that he had the nerve to bring him up. "You don't get it do you Barry? Yes, I'm going to be eternally grateful that you made the hard choice but you obviously don't get it. This isn't just the Barry Allen show anymore. You're not in this alone. You have Cisco and myself. We could have found another way. We _always_ find another way."

"There was no time Caitlin!" Barry argued, "If it means keeping everyone that I love safe, I will absolutely do it every single time." He stated, his eyes blazing into hers. "That's what it means to be a hero." His voice trailed off but his eyes never left hers. He was so focused on her that he didn't see that slap coming, a stinging sensation coming from his cheek. "What the hell Cait! Why did you slap me?"

"Because you still don't get it Barry." Caitlin said, her eyes watering. "This isn't just about the Flash. This is about you, Barry Allen, the CSI investigator for CCPD. The man who was in a coma not less than a year ago. That is the man that we wanted to grieve for but we couldn't. We couldn't properly grieve because outside our little circle, no one else knew that we buried an empty casket that day."

She blinked rapidly, trying so hard to stop the tears from falling but they didn't. "It just hurts so much." She sobbed, finally breaking down and falling to her knees. She shook her head, trying to push away those thoughts about both Ronnie and Barry, how she never even once got to say those last words to either of them.

It was only then that Barry started to realize just how much his apparent death affected everyone, Caitlin especially. He felt like an ass and wanted to kick himself but no matter how he looked at it, he was wrong here. He should have been better, smarter, to find a way to save everyone but in that moment... all he wanted to do was to end things.

"I'm so _sorry_." Barry apologized as he crouched down next to her. "I didn't know..." He could feel the pain radiating from Caitlin and it was a horrible feeling. Just watching those tears coming down from Caitlin's beautiful face made him realize just how much he needed to do to make it up to her. To Everyone. "Please don't cry anymore Cait..." He muttered as he pulled her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her. He could hear the soft sobs from her as she leaned into his embrace. "I'm so sorry."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Barry shifting his body a little so that it was a little bit more comfortable for the both of them but his arms never left her side. He continued to hold her close to him, whispering apologies and anything he could think of to make her feel a little bit better. "What if I promise never to do that again?"

Her only response was an elbow to his stomach, which he probably deserved. He shook his head and smiled. "I know that I don't get to just come back and apologize like this. I know it's not that easy and I promise to you Caitlin... that I'm going to do better. To listen to your advice more."

"You better Barry Allen." She murmured, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth and comfort from being in his arms. A yawn soon escaped her lips and she mumbled a halfhearted apology. Barry then realized the time and scooped her up in his arms again, ignoring her protest. "We have to get going or else Cisco might actually think he can beat me in a race."

"Oh right... the race." Caitlin muttered, completely forgotten about their little bet. She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice but when she looked up, she saw Barry smiling back at her. "What's so funny Mr. Allen?"

"I was thinking that we take the long way back into Central City... You know... for when we pick up the burgers from Star City..." His voice trailed off, hoping that she would get the hint.

It took her a second before realizing what Barry was implying and she smiled back. A genuine smile this time. "I think that would be lovely."

* * *

Enjoy. Review. Happy Holidays.


	4. Chapter 4

I am beyond convinced that the Flash Writers want Caitlin and Barry to be together, as noted a lot of subtle scenes but they couldn't because they wanted to do the whole Barry/Iris relationship. Maybe in the next crossover they'll do something about it...

In any case, this is the last chapter for this year. See you in 2019 for a fluff chap.

* * *

 _S.T.A.R Labs_

Cisco stared at his watch, tapping it a few times before holding it up to his ear. He could hear the tick-tock sounds as the gears continued to move. He frowned and shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with my watch." He stated as he looked at Joe and Eddie. "How is it possible that we -" He gestured to the three of them. "Beat them back here. He's the fastest man alive for crying out loud."

Joe couldn't help but chuckle. "That's Barry alright. Even with his powers, he was still late to everything. It used to drive Singh up the wall."

"Well, he better have my Big Belly Burger with extra pickles." Cisco grumbled, taking a seat in the Cortex. He drummed his fingers on the desk, wondering why he was the only one who cried earlier. Granted, those damn pesky bugs were the cause of it but he expected Caitlin to shed some tears as well. That girl cried every time she watched any movies by Nicholas Sparks but she didn't cry this time so it made him a little suspicious.

He thought about that for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes. "She couldn't..." His head turned slightly as he mumbled. "She wouldn't..." He paused and sighed, his fingers already typing away on the keyboard. Within moments, all the programs that Caitlin pulled up earlier were back up and he was already scrolling through the system logs but what he saw brought a smirk to his face.

"That sneaky little vixen. She did." He whispered, trying to contain the glee in his voice. "My young padawan finally crossed over into the dark side..."

Just when he thought that his attempts of luring Caitlin to come join him has all but failed, she goes and pulls one over him. That girl has been running a non-stop search algorithm on Sally for the past six months, searching for all traces of dark matter. If he wasn't a little offended that she couldn't trust him with this, he would have been proud of her.

"So how do you think Barry survived?" Joe asked, breaking Cisco out of his little monologue. "I thought you guys said that nothing can survive in a wormhole."

"Yeah..." Cisco awkwardly answered, "My bad Joe." It was times like this that he wished he had someone smarter than him to bounce ideas off. Maybe if Wells was still around, he could have came up with some kind of plausible explanation. He then froze and slapped him for even approaching that line of thought. He saw the strange looks from both detectives and he shook his head. "Wells." He mumbled and they nodded understandably.

"Where is he?!" Iris shouted as she burst into the lab, startling both Cisco and Joe. "Is it true that he's alive?" She rapidly fired off several more questions, causing both men to stare at Eddie who only sheepishly shrugged his shoulders in response. "She's my fiancé..." He weakly answered, "I couldn't not tell her."

Joe sighed and grabbed a chair for his daughter. "Breathe baby." He instructed, making a motion for her to sit. "Yes, Barry is alive and he's fine." He paused for a second before continuing. "As far as I can tell anyway. He's with Caitlin right now but they should be back soon..."

And just like that, a big breeze blew in, causing everyone to instinctively shield their eyes as papers flew everywhere. After a few seconds, they lowered their hands and saw several bags of Big Belly Burger on the desk, as well as both Barry and Caitlin each holding up several more bags from the fast food chain.

"Anyone hungry?" Caitlin asked, smiling at everyone. Chaos soon erupted and she found it hard to hear everyone all at once but before she could speak up, Barry stepped in and shouted, calming everyone down. She mouthed a quick thanks towards him and she handed her bag over to Cisco. "Your burger with extra pickles."

"Thanks." Cisco said and then leaned in close enough to whisper to her. "I know what you did young padawan." She gave him a confused look but he continued. "Hope for you, there might be."

"Oh-kay." She said, shrugging it off and walked next to Barry, handing him his meal. "That was fun." She whispered, trying to keep the blush from reappearing on her cheeks.

Barry chuckled, "We can do it whenever you're up for it Cait." He whispered back as he brushed his hand across hers, smiling as he walked to the front of the room. He turned around and saw everyone's attention on him. She warned him about this but he thought it was going to be a piece of cake but now that he's standing here, it's a lot more intimidating. "So I assume everyone's been wondering... I'm not dead." He saw the look on Cisco's face and quickly added. "Nor am I a zombie."

Joe couldn't help but laugh. This definitely felt like Barry, his antics were one and the same. "I'm glad your finally home son but how is that even possible? Everyone saw you run into that singularity with Thawne. He didn't survive as well right?" It felt a bitter taste in his mouth but he figure he might as well ask. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"No!" Barry shouted and then coughed, readjusting his voice. "I mean no. Thawne's dead for good." He explained, sitting down on the steps next to Caitlin. He interlocked his fingers together and stared at the floor. "When I jumped into that singularity, I already knew that I wasn't going to come back out." He heard several gasps and he held his hand up, stopping them from interrupting him. "I mean for real guys. It's a wormhole. Did anyone actually think I was going to survive?"

"I did." Caitlin mumbled. She's already heard this story from him earlier but her heart still aches, knowing what he went through just to get home. "We all did Barry."

"I almost didn't though." He admitted. "Being in there... it was unlike anything you could imagine. It felt empty... deprived of everything and anything. I don't remember anything else after that... except that the next time I opened my eyes, I was in an alleyway somewhere. It took me a little regain my bearings but I realized I was in Central City. I was just lucky that I still had my Flash suit on or else it would have been weird standing there naked."

While everyone else was chuckling at his little joke, Caitlin couldn't help but notice the halfhearted smile and she grew worried. She could tell that he was still holding something back but she knew better than to push him. She learned from Joe that the more you push Barry, the more he'll go the opposite direction. She sighed and hoped that whenever he was ready, he'll reach out and talk to her but until then, she was fine staying by his side. For medical purposes of course and not just to be closer to him she told herself.

"So you're like Tommy Oliver... The Green Ranger..." Cisco whispered in awe and then did a double-take. "You're not going to turn evil one day and kill us one day right? You mustn't give into the temptation that is Rita."

"Cisco!" Both Iris and Caitlin shouted. Iris also slapped his arm since she was the closest one to him. Caitlin shot her a grateful look which she returned. "Honestly Cisco." Iris said, shaking her head. "Barry's Barry. He's not going to be evil and I, for one, am so relieved that he's back." She proved her point by walking up to him, arms out, ready to give him a welcome home hug but at the last second, he sidestepped away, leaving her with a startled look on her face. "Barry?"

"Sorry." Barry muttered, averting his eyes away from Iris. He leaned closer to Caitlin who mirrored Iris' expression. "I just need some time to adjust..."

She was about to point out that he certainly didn't need any time to adjust with Caitlin but Eddie interrupted her, quietly warning her not to make a scene right now. She knew he was right but that didn't mean she had to like it. Her attention stayed on the two of them and she felt a pang of jealousy which surprised her. Was she actually jealous of Caitlin? She scoffed at that idea. Barry was probably being Barry, reaching out to someone familiar and since Caitlin is his personal doctor, that would make sense but for some reason... that didn't really satisfy her.

"Team Flash is back!" Cisco cheered, his infectious voice echoing through the lab. "Wait, are we back?" He looked towards Barry for confirmation. "Please tell me we're back."

Barry laughed, "Are we back Dr. Snow?" He teased, his mood picking up.

Caitlin rolled her eyes at their antics but nevertheless, smiled at them. "You and I need to run a few tests before I can even agree to anything." She coyly answered. "We can't have our hero disappearing on us can we?"

Cisco fist pumped into the air and then started to walk out, his burger entirely forgotten. "You're going to love the new suit I designed for you Barry. It's the crème de la crème."

"Well I hate to break up this happy occasion but Eddie and I need to head back to the station before Singh chews us out. He wanted an update on our latest meta." Joe announced, "Why don't you stop by the house later Barry?"

"Sure Joe but can you guys leave out the fact that I was there?"

"Of course Barry. Anything for our savior." Eddie warmly answered. "Do you need a lift back into the city babe?" He asked, turning to Iris. When she didn't answer, he frowned and waved his hand in front of her face. "Earth to Iris. Is anyone home?"

"Yeah babe. Sorry." She mumbled, her attention still focused on Barry and Caitlin. "What did you say?"

He groaned and pulled her aside. "Don't do this Iris. Not now. The guy practically just came home. At least give him some time to readjust to everything." He tried to reason with her because once she gets a whiff of a story, she's like a bloodhound. Willing to go to any lengths to track down that fox.

"You don't get it Eddie. Barry and I grew up together and not once has he refused one of my hugs." She pointed out. "Not even when his father was sent to prison or when that bitch Stacy dumped him. It's just one of those things that the West's are known for. Our hugs and I'm telling you babe, something's wrong. I just don't know what yet."

It was a losing battle and he knew it but for Barry's sake, he had to keep trying. He owed him that much. "Just one week and then I won't stop you anymore. He did save my life you know."

"Fine. One week." She huffed, crossing her arm against her chest. She turned her attention back to Barry, who was laughing at something that Caitlin said and she couldn't help but scowl.

She was definitely not jealous of Caitlin.

* * *

 _Hours later_

Caitlin continued to run the tests from her end, occasionally glancing at Barry who sat there with a faraway expression on his face. He was quieter than usual but she chalked it up to him still coming to terms with his situation. When the machine beeped once more, Caitlin reviewed the results and smiled. "Looks like all your tests came back positive Barry." Her fingers flipped through the pages and while some of his vitamin levels were a little low, it wasn't a cause for concern. She'd just make him take some multi-vitamins and he should be fine.

"Barry?" She called out his name again, "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry, a lot on my mind." Barry answered, plastering a smile but Caitlin knew something was bothering him. She put down the results and turned around, trying to get a read on him.

"Do you want to talk about the white elephant in the room?"

He shook his head, not even surprised that she was able to see past him. "Not really." He mumbled. "Soon. I promise." He quickly added. "I don't want to talk about myself right now. I rather talk about what the others have been up to since I've been gone."

"Why not just ask them yourself?" She asked, "Wouldn't that be easier?"

"But I like hearing it from your point of view Cait." He smoothly answered.

She felt her cheeks turning red and she coughed, trying to distract herself with anything other than Barry. She mumbled something incoherent about speedsters and gave in, not that she put up much of a fight. Something about those green eyes of his...

They spent the next few hours talking about the people in their lives, how Iris and Eddie were in the early stages of planning their spring wedding and how Joe wisely chose to distance himself from those two. Barry couldn't help but laugh when she told him about Iris and the cake incident. Cisco was still flirting with the baristas at Jitters and he finally managed to score a date with Kendra, the newest barista there.

During those few hours, she couldn't help but feel herself being drawn to him, her body just reacting to his and more than anything else, she wished they were on a couch somewhere, cuddling underneath a blanket so they can actually spend the rest of the night just talking. She inwardly sighed, knowing that even though she has these feelings for him... the fear of him not returning those was enough to keep her from trying.

It wasn't until she heard their stomachs growling that she realized just how late it was. She glanced at her watch and jumped up from her seat. "Barry! It's ten!"

"That's alright." Barry said, nonchalantly waving off her apology. "The night's still young."

She shot him a look before shaking her head. "You forgot about Joe didn't you?" She asked and his reaction caused her to giggle. She could see the gears turning in his head until it finally hit him. He leaped up from his seat and started yammering how about Joe was going to kill him for being so late. She pointed towards the door and told him to go, leaving nothing but a gust of wind in his wake.

Seeing him run out of there like that without so much as a goodbye made her heart ache, reminding herself that this is what it'll feel like until she tells him... She sighed and started reaching for the nearest paper until Barry came back into the lab, holding her stuff in his hands. She gave him a strange look, wondering what he was doing with her belongings.

"You didn't actually think that I was going to Joe's alone did you Cait?"

Her lips threatened to break out in a smile as she accepted his hand to help her back up on her feet. "I'm pretty sure Joe isn't expecting the both of us."

"He loves you Caitlin and besides, neither of us has eaten yet and I'm positive that Joe brought home dinner, like a pasta or pizza or both. You know, with my metabolism and all."

She giggled, full well knowing about this metabolism. That was why she always kept one of his protein bars with her at all times. Just in case he needed one. "You just didn't want to go alone."

"Guilty." Barry answered, laughing as he held up his hands. "And besides, I'm not ready to say good night to you just yet."

Her heart fluttered and she found it extremely hard to say no to him right now. Debating between going home alone and watching Netflix or spending some more time with Barry, it was an obvious decision. She took the jacket and her purse from his hands and smiled at him. "Lead the way Mr. Allen."

He swooped her up in his arms and within moments, they were on the road, speeding through Central City as they made their way into the suburbs. Barry stopped just short of the steps in front of Joe's house and gently put Caitlin down. "Delivery as promised." He joked and walked up the stairs and knocked.

The door promptly swung open and Joe stood there shaking his head. "Finally!" The detective exclaimed. "I thought you two would never show up." He gestured for them to come in, leading them over to the couch. "I didn't know if you guys were hungry or not so I just ordered a bunch of pizzas. I hope you're hungry."

"Thanks for including me Joe." Caitlin said, taking a seat next to Barry.

Joe laughed. "Why wouldn't I? You're family Caitlin and let's face it, without you, this knucklehead wouldn't even be alive right now. You're always there for him."

"Hey!" Barry whined, already munching on a slice of pizza. He held up a plate with a slice for Caitlin with his other hand while glaring at Joe. "I resent that. I am not always getting hurt while on patrol you know."

Both Caitlin and Joe shot him a look and Barry grumbled. "Fine. Like 80% of the time I don't get hurt."

"Try 10% of the time." Joe corrected. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about Barry. I wanted to know how long you've been back in Central City."

Caitlin coughed, choking on her pizza and stared at Barry, staring at him in disbelief. "Seriously Barry?"

He nodded, confirming Joe's suspicion. "It's only been a few days since I came back but I didn't know how to tell you guys..."

"I could think of several ways..." Joe muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. "Why didn't you just come home then Barry?"

"I couldn't." He whispered, putting down his plate. He stared off into the window, noticing just how dark it's gotten. He wasn't ten years old anymore and being afraid of the dark was silly but every time he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but to remember what it was _like_ to be in that singularity.

Cold and alone...

It didn't matter how fast or how far he ran... darkness was always there, waiting for him. Panic and despair soon set in and he considered just closing his eyes, believing that there was no other option. He had accepted his fate, that he was destined to die here but it seems like someone else... something else, had other plans because the next thing he knew, he was standing on solid ground, the stench of garbage and the noises from everything else became apparent.

He spent the next few days running back and forth between hemispheres, just so that when he goes to sleep, he didn't have to sleep in the darkness. It was silly, that a grown man would be afraid of the dark but when you're a grown man with superpowers, you didn't have to take that risk.

He knew that they mean well but he wasn't ready. Not yet. "Anyone for seconds? Or fifths?" He quietly asked, intentionally changing the subject.

Joe shook his head, standing up and patted his stomach. "This old man has enough for tonight. I'm going to turn in so I hope that I can trust you kids to behave yourselves." He teased as he walked up the stairs. He threw one last look at Barry and sighed. Whatever that kid was going through, he just hoped that he had enough sense to reach out for help.

Maybe with Caitlin by his side... everything would be alright. He couldn't help but smile, knowing that the good doctor was smitten with his son. If he played his cards right, there would be a second wedding in his future soon.

After Joe went upstairs, Caitlin turned to Barry and saw the faraway look on his face. "So what are your plans now Barry? She softly asked.

"I'm not ready to get some sleep yet." He answered. "If you're up for it, I would love to continue our conversation from earlier."

And so they did. They continued talking throughout the night until Caitlin dozed off, finding herself using Barry's shoulder as a makeshift pillow. He smiled inwardly and readjusted himself, allowing her to make full use of the couch and allowed her head to sleep on top of his lap. As she slept, he noticed that she would wake up unexpectedly, almost if she wanted to check up on him, to make sure he was still there and every time she did that, he would pretend to be asleep.

It was like a game of cat and mouse but it was something that he found endearing. His hand slowly brushed away several strands of her hair, smiling as his heart fluttered. "You really are something Caitlin Snow." He whispered, shifting his body so that now, they were cuddling on the couch, with her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around here, enjoying the feeling of holding her close.

* * *

Happy Holidays. Review.


	5. Chapter 5

Happy New Year and I'm back. Thanks to everyone that review/followed/etc and hopefully I won't disappoint anyone with this chapter. I've spent some time on twitter and found #snowbarry. Spent countless hours browsing and twitter-stalking (not even sure if that's a word...) but nevertheless, it was fun.

I've also decided that for some of those plot bunnies running around in my head, I'm going to do a solo story with just one-shots revolving around certain themes. It's going to be mostly fluffy. Who knows? We'll see.

* * *

It was an involuntary motion, the familiar action of her hand reaching over to her nightstand to turn off her alarm. It was something that she's done a hundred times, a thousand times even but not today. Caitlin kept her eyes closed, allowing the alarm to continue ringing, knowing that it would eventually shut itself off. After what happened in the past few days, a few extra minutes of sleep was well deserved.

That and she was just too comfortable to care. Her body hasn't been this relaxed in her own bed in a very long time. It was almost like her bed had somehow developed the ability to cater itself to her needs. A peaceful sigh escaped her lips as she nuzzled deeper into her pillow, the warmth of her comforter drawing her back into a state of unconsciousness.

She heard some chuckling in the background but she ignored it. She assumed that it was probably her subconscious trying to tell her to get up and the last thing she wanted to do was to leave her bed right now. The alarm continued to blare, disrupting her sleep. "Spud arm..." She muttered incoherently. "Smore it..."

Her hand hastily inched forward, her intentions clear. She was going to find that phone and disable that stupid alarm but after flailing around for a few seconds, she decided to finally open her eyes and the first thing that she saw was a pair of green eyes staring right back at her. She blinked a few of times, wondering if she was still dreaming because there was no way Barry could be in her bedroom right now. She gave him a lopsided smile, thinking that this was just another one of her dreams.

"Morning Caitlin." Barry cheerfully whispered, smiling coyly at her. "Slept well I hope."

"Hi Barry." She whispered back, a big smile on her face. It felt so surreal that she could feel the warmth radiating off him, his fingers gently running themselves through her hair. "Mmm that feels so nice Barry..."

"You know, you'll have to wake up eventually." He softly said, continuing to massage her scalp.

"Just a few more minutes." She begged, giving him a pouting look. "Please? I just want to spend as much time as I can with you before I have to wake up..."

He laughed and shook his head. "I think you're fully awake Cait." And to prove his point, his fingers stopped and lowered themselves over to her face, just lightly touching each part for a few seconds but it was enough to send goosebumps down her body.

Her eyes then shot open, realizing that this was _not_ another one of her dreams. A blush then appeared on her cheeks as she started to stutter, surprised to find herself lying on top of Barry. "I didn't mean... We didn't..." Her eyes drifted towards Barry, mentally hoping that she didn't do anything embarrassing during her sleep. She pushed herself off his chest to regain her bearings and saw the amusement in his eyes. "You should've woken me up Barry! I can't believe I fell asleep on top of you like that." She said, swatting his chest in protest.

"But you looked so peaceful sleeping. I couldn't bring myself to do it."

Caitlin sighed and then lowered herself back onto the couch, resting her head on his chest once more. She could hear his heartbeat through his dark color t-shirt, a sound that she didn't think she would be able to hear again. She felt his arms wrapping themselves around her waist and she smiled inwardly, secretly enjoying the closeness that they were in. Her hand inched upward, towards his cheek and they gently caressed his jawline, feeling the small stubble that grew overnight.

"Caitlin..." Barry whispered, his tone deepening. He leaned into her touch, a hunger beginning to grow in his stomach.

She felt her own heart fluttering, very aware of what was going on. She pushed herself forward, meeting him halfway as their noses touched and their lips just mere centimeters away from connecting. She could feel his strong arms pulling her closer and she closed her eyes, allowing the anticipation of their first kiss to build.

"Whoops!" Joe exclaimed, "I didn't mean to!"

Her eyes shot open and saw Barry do the same thing, the two of them quickly separating themselves from one another. She stared at the ground, wishing that it would open up and just swallow her up. At least that way, she could avoid the awkward looks coming from Joe.

"Coffee...?" Joe awkwardly asked, standing there holding up a pot of coffee with several cups.

"Bathroom."

"Kitchen."

The two of them shouted out the first words that came to mind, causing Joe to chuckle at their antics. "Do you guys want to try that again?" He teased, smirking at them. His eyes twinkling with amusement. It warmed his heart to see Barry like this, so open and caring with Caitlin, even if he hasn't realized it himself. A part of him wished that he took the time to assess the room before walking in because at least then, he wouldn't have ruined their moment but in his defense, it wasn't intentional and all he wanted to do was to see if they wanted some breakfast. He did make his world famous French Toast after all.

Caitlin saw an opportunity and quickly excused herself, her eyes lingering on Barry before rushing into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She leaned against the wall, shutting her eyes as she tried to erase that mortifying moment from her memories. After a few seconds, she walked over to the sink and stared into the mirror, her fingers gently brushing across her lips. Even though they didn't kiss, the mental image was more than enough to give her goosebumps.

She sighed and turned on the faucet, her hands started splashing cold water on her face. It was enough to calm herself down but she couldn't help but wonder what Barry was thinking about right now.

While Caitlin was in the bathroom, Barry plopped back down onto the couch, groaning as he buried his face into a nearby pillow. "What was I even thinking Joe?! I almost kissed her!" He said, screaming into the pillow. He closed his eyes, trying to picture anyone, anything else besides Caitlin but it didn't help his case because everything on the couch smelled like Caitlin.

Joe took a seat on his recliner and gave his son a confused look. "Is that such a bad thing Barry? Caitlin obviously likes you and to be honest, you should consider yourself lucky. That girl is a catch."

"You can't know that for sure. What if I just ruined my entire friendship with Caitlin? Oh my god, what if she doesn't want to talk to me again." He dramatically replied, throwing his hands up into the air. "I'm such an idiot. She probably hates me now."

Not a stranger to one of Barry's dramatic outburst, he couldn't help but notice just how much of an effect these two had on each other. It was uncanny, the way that they would look towards each other for confirmation, even if it's just for a split second. Even though each one of them had issues in their lives, they found a way to still remain close.

Barry with Iris and Caitlin with Ronnie...

Even when Barry was gone, Caitlin was the only other person besides himself who would visit his grave on a regular basis. He could tell that she had feelings for his son and from how he was acting right now, he was sure that Barry had feelings for her as well.

"What if she leaves me Joe? What will happen to Team Flash? I don't think Cisco can do what Caitlin does. I'm not sure if he even knows how to stitch up a wound."

Joe resisted the urge to roll his eyes but for the sake of his own sanity, he stepped in before he loses more brain cells to this teenage drama. "Son, you need to stop or else you're going to ruin my hardwood floors."

"I think this is more important than just some hardwood floors Joe."

"Listen to me Barry." Joe said, "I'm going to help you with this but before we do anything, I need you to actually stop pacing and sit down."

Barry stopped his pacing and saw the serious look on Joe's face. He obliged and sat back down, his hands folded on his knee. "So what now?"

"I need you to close your eyes, clear out your thoughts and just answer with the first thing that comes to your mind. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

Joe took a sip of his coffee before continuing. "What do you prefer, peanut butter or egg white omelets?"

"Peanut Butter."

"What kind of car do you want to drive? A jeep or a sedan."

"A Jeep."

"Who do you like more, Felicity or Cisco?"

"Felicity." He then paused, making a face. "Oh, that's going to be awkward."

Joe stifled a laugh and then coughed. "Stop thinking. Do you prefer a tie or bow-tie?"

"Bow-Tie."

"Do you have feelings for Caitlin?"

"Yes." Just as those words left his mouth, his eyes shot open and saw the smirk on Joe's face. "Oh wow..."

"Yup." Joe said, taking another sip of coffee. "Do you need any more help or are you good Barry?"

"I um..." Barry said, his brain functioning about a thousand thoughts a second. "I'm good..."

* * *

 _S.T.A.R Labs_

"Okay, what is going on with the two of you?" Cisco asked, narrowing his eyes as he stared at his two best friends. "Yesterday, the two of you were closer than Han Solo and the Carbonite and today, both of you are at the opposite ends of the room. What gives? Does someone have cooties or something?"

"Nothing like that Cisco." Barry answered, speaking up for the both of them. His eyes continued to stare at the monitors, occasionally stealing glances at Caitlin. Ever since his conversation with Joe, he couldn't help but blush whenever he looked at Caitlin. Everything in his body was screaming for him to go for it, to just man up and kiss her but his fears slammed that door shut. Even flashing her back to S.T.A.R labs was kind of awkward. He knew it. She knew it. They both knew it.

Cisco took one more look at them before shrugging his shoulders, shaking his head at their strange behavior. He cleared his throat and knocked on the glass panel, directing their attention to the front of the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen. May I present to you... Flash 2.0" He gleefully announced. "The suit has been redesigned with a new denser but also fireproof material so that if you were to say, get stabbed or shocked, your attacker would need to put a little bit more of an effort into it to kill you Barry. After what happened before T.S or the singularity, we reconciled every metahuman and criminal that you faced and made enhancements to the suit. Caitlin wanted to make sure that you were totally safe." He then paused and studied the suit for another second. "Or as safe as you can be." He added, making a shaking motion with his hand.

"Cisco!" Caitlin chided, interrupting the engineer. That quickly brought everyone's attention towards her and she blushed, coughing awkwardly and strolled up next to him. "Can we please stay on topic?"

He sighed and went over to the emblem, at the forefront of the suit. "Even though the suit was entirely my design, this piece right here." His hands gestured to the Flash symbol. "This bad boy was all Caitlin. She wanted you to have something new, to remind you that whatever happened in the past was the past. This is to remind you, and everyone else, that the Flash is back and he means business!"

Barry walked over to join his friends, his eyes never leaving the new suit. It was totally different from his old suit and he could tell just how much time and effort went into this project of theirs. It touched his heart that they even did this for him. He looked at Cisco and finally Caitlin, smiling at the both of them. "Guys... I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything man. We just wanted you to come home and now that you're home, we can't have you out there fighting crime in that old raggedly suit. I mean, you're wearing a Cisco original. If you don't look good, how else can I expect other superheroes to come to me for their needs?"

Caitlin tilted her head, shaking in response to his statement. "You might want to rephrase that just a bit Cisco."

"Which part?" Cisco asked. "The Cisco original or the last bit?"

"The latter dude." Barry said, trying to contain his laughter. "I mean Oliver's suit is pretty badass, even without your help."

"Blasphemy. That suit has nothing on this suit. This one is way cooler."

"Way cooler indeed." Caitlin said, agreeing with Cisco. She turned her attention towards Barry and smiled, those pesky butterflies coming back. "Do you want to try it on?"

Not needing to be told twice, he quickly changed into the new suit, feeling the familiar fabric on his skin. He wiggled his body a bit, testing out how the material would react and once he was satisfied, he turned towards Caitlin and Cisco. "So what do you guys think?"

"Perfect." Caitlin whispered, her eyes drinking everything in. "It's perfect."

Cisco clapped his hands together and nodded. "Team Flash baby!" He ran over to the Cortex and started up the suit's monitoring program. His fingers started typing away on the keyboard, nodding his head as the results came back green. "Results look good!" He shouted over to Caitlin. "I just need to make a minor tweak in a few areas but he's good to go."

The two of them watched as Cisco excused himself, muttering out several ideas as he walked out and Barry found himself silently thanking his friend for giving him this opportunity. He turned towards Caitlin and pulled down his mask, his lips tugging upwards to a smile.

"So this morning..." He said, his voice trailing off.

"Some morning right?" Caitlin coolly answered as she took a step back from Barry. Neither of them noticed but every time she took a step backwards, he took a step forward. All the way until she was backed against a wall.

"Caitlin."

"Barry." She coyly answered. Her eyes drank every inch of him in, the fabric doing a very poor job of hiding those lightning induced abs of his. She licked her lips a little, a part of her anticipating all those fantasies that she ever had about him. She knew that there was no Joe or Cisco here to interrupt them...

It was just going to be the two of them and that made her pulse race.

"What do you think you're doing?" She whispered, putting her hands on his chest. A part of her mind was telling her not to do it. Not to ruin their friendship for something that may or may not happen but the more that she stared at him, the more those urges of hers got harder to ignore.

"It took me a while..."

"Almost a marathon I'd say."

"I got lost along the way and it wasn't easy..."

"You came back. That's the only thing that matters."

"I caused you a lot of pain Cait... I don't know how..."

She pressed her finger up against his lips, silencing him. She leaned in, resting her forehead against his. "I lost you once Barry Allen. I'm not going to lose you a second time."

After everything that has happened, all those dreams... all those fears... She threw caution to the wind and pressed her lips against his. Everything in her body was tingling from the initial kiss and she didn't want it to end but she felt him tense up. Her worse fears started coming true and was about to pull back when she felt his arms snake themselves around her waist, stopping her from pulling away.

That kiss... it was unlike any other kiss he had before, even in that other timeline with Iris. The way that electricity went through his body and that hunger in his stomach was barely satisfied. It left him hungry, wanting more than just one kiss so when he sensed her pulling back, he knew he had to stop her. His hands went on auto-pilot, wrapping themselves around her slender waist. His body reacted with hers, shoving her against the wall as her arms roamed around his body, her nails digging into his back. He resisted the urge to moan from the sensation but he continued kissing her with as much fervor as he could.

They soon broke apart, their lips swollen and slightly gasping for air.

"That was unexpected." Barry whispered, smiling as he stared into her eyes. "A good unexpected."

Caitlin blushed. "You caught me off-guard Mr. Allen."

"But I believe it was you who initiated that kiss Doctor Snow." He pointed out. He wanted to say more but he saw the hesitation in her eyes and he frowned. "What's the matter Cait? Was it not good? I can be better, I promise!"

"Of course not Barry! It was good!" She quickly answered. "But I was just wondering... What if this was just a mistake?"

"What if it's not?" He asked, posing a question of his own. "I don't want to worry about the future anymore. I just want to live in the moment, to be with the person who I chose to be with and after all that's happened, I'm tired of having everything predetermined for me." He paused and took the opportunity to interlace their hands together, noticing just how well they fit together. "I want this. I want this more than I've ever wanted anyone before."

She was about to open her mouth but Barry beat her to it. "More than Iris." He answered, putting her doubts to rest. "I want you until you get tired of me Caitlin."

Seeing that her mood picked up a little, he decided to lightly tease her. "Do you know what I was thinking when I jumped into that singularity?"

"Were you thinking about the people that you were leaving behind?"

"You're half right." He answered, surprising her. "I thought about you Caitlin."

"Me?" She squeaked, surprised by the answer. "Why me? I'm no one special in your life."

"Hey hey. That's not true." Barry firmly replied, "There's something very special about you Caitlin Snow and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Not me, not the next meta-human, not anyone. Screw what other people think because to me, you're everything. You're my doctor, my best friend, my partner-in-crime... my home."

If Caitlin wasn't falling for Barry before, she was definitely now. Hearing those words from him... it wiped away any fears she had previously and she let him know by giving his hand a firm squeeze. She leaned forward, on her tippy toes and kissed him on the lips, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck.

"I might have also said that you were going to kill me." He muttered against her lips. "Please don't kill me."

"I can think of several ways that you can make it up to me..." She whispered back, her eyes staring deeply into his. "Are you sure you want this Mr. Allen?"

"Positive."

* * *

Let me know what you guys think about this.


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